Bringing the past to life…

Monthly Archives: September 2012

Welcome back to Front Matter’s weekly Writer’s Challenge! A little something to tickle your fancy this Friday morning…. Feel free to respond on your own blog or site and link with a few words in the comments section below. Happy writing!

Fiction Prompt: Historical fiction meets autobiography – Pick an actual incident from your own life and fictionalize it, slightly or wildly. It can be something that happened to you, something you witnessed or just happened in your lifetime. The character of you, however, must play some role in the story!

Non-fiction/essay: What has been the most life-changing result in your experience with social media? Did you reconnect with an old flame via facebook? Was it the start of a new business for you?

Writer’s Personal Challenge: What defines you as a writer? Take 4 minutes (time it!) and list the one-word characteristics you feel embody your skills, personality and…

I was flicking through the October edition of ‘Writing Magazine’ when I noticed an interesting letter somebody had sent in.

As I myself am I big fan of both reading and writing fanfiction, it was great to discover that although there is some hate for fanfiction in the writing community, that some writers have also found it has its advantages.

“As a writer who creates fanfiction, I know how gratifying it is to receive the comments and criticism from other subscribers. The criticism is valid and well thought out, aiding my development as a writer.”

I was excited to see this in writing. As a fanfiction writer, I can’t tell you how exciting it is to see reviews from my readers even if they do contain criticism, after all I have no novels published or reviewed therefore I don’t know whether my writing style is something that people enjoy to read. Thanks to some lovely reviews I’ve been given, I’ve been able to assertain who my main audience is and what they like the most about my writing, helping me in developing my skills as a writer.

“However, one shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that it is a lazy way of writing. The characters are fully formed, with personality traits already familiar to readers.”

True, fanfiction can be labelled as ‘lazy writing’, however isn’t that what all writers need some times. I find that I write my best work after I have taken time out to write a fanfiction. The characters in fanfiction are characters that you feel familiar to. Maybe you grew up seeing them on your screen or in a book series. They are a fully formed character and do not need you to develop their entire character for them, as they already exist. I find it is a great way, if you’re struggling with your own stubborn character, to get back into the flow of writing, before you return to your own novel.

“Take heed: there is more talent on the internet, unpaid and providing pleasure for millions, than is coming thrugh publishing today.”

This again is so true. Some of the best stories I’ve read and written have been fanfiction’s, and should anyone truly be sneered at for writing fanfiction, when it’s somebody working hard to develop their writing skills in any way they can?

For example, take E.L James the writer of the bestselling ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy. Fifty Shades of Grey was originally uploaded on a fanfiction website before it was published, and whilst I readily admit it is not the best written work by any stretch of the imagination, it appears to be what people want to read, and if that idea was inspired by a book or film it doesn’t matter, because the idea existed and has now worked it’s way into the minds of many reader’s.

So what do you think about fanfiction? Is it just ‘lazy writing’, or is it a more important tool in the writing community than people realise? Share your thoughts on the subject by leaving a comment.

Maybe this is something that all writers do…or maybe not, but I thought I’d share something that I do when I’m really struggling to write, or feel I have no inspiration for my current work in progress.

Open a dictionary and pick the first word you look at.

This is your prompt.

Now write a short story of up to 1500 words on this prompt and see where it goes.

My word: department

Share below what your prompt is if you want to. I’d like to read them.

Vampire’s Don’t Sparkle ~ (1/1) ~ What with the fight against evil, little did the occupants of the Gilbert house think to worry of what the little imaginative girl in the house opposite would observe sitting at her bedroom window. Damon/Elena.Chapter 1: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7823088/1/Vampires_Dont_Sparkle

Pure Intentions ~ (1/1) ~ “You wouldn’t be one of those Auror’s you hear about who join up for the wrong reasons. Your intentions would be pure!” “What would be the wrong reasons?” he questioned quietly, a quick flash of pain crossing his eyes. Teddy/Victoire.Chapter 1: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7193617/1/Pure_Intentions

Wuthering HeightsCon-trar-y – Con-tra-ry ~ (1/1) ~ But as his aching jaw lingered he’d finally realised what it was actually from. Smiling. He smiled all the time now, smiled at Joseph’s disgruntled murmurs as Cathy reprimanded him for trailing mud into the finally scrubbed clean kitchen. A Team Hareton fanfiction. Cathy/HaretonChapter 1:http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8007718/1/Contrary_Contrary

Letting Go ~ (1/1) ~ As The Doctor lays with Amy Pond on the grass, looking up at the sky, he thinks to his saviour and the woman who will forever be in his hearts. Mentions of Doctor/Rose. NOT an Amy/Doctor romance.Chapter 1:http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5865700/1/Letting_Go

Wants and Needs ~ (1/1) ~ It was a fight between the inner Time Lord and the inner Human; a fight between the desire of wanting and needing. Spoilers for Series 2: The Girl in the Fireplace. Doctor/Rose.Chapter 1: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6443735/1/Wants_and_Needs

I’m a 20 year student and writer currently working away on three novels and dealing with any thudding plot bunnies by indulging in a little writing of fanfiction. Here’s my fanfiction account if you are interested:http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1723787/OldVictorianQuill

As I’m going back to University at the end of next week, I’ve decided to create this blog as a way to make sure I keep up to date with writing and reading, especially as I know that’s going to have to be put on the backburner whilst I finish my final year which unfortunately comes along with a dissertation.

So that’s all for now as I fiddle around and figure out how to use this blog…technology of any kind is not my strong point.